All in the Family
by ladylampetia
Summary: No matter who we are, scientists, physicists, therapists, chefs, agents from the departmet of defense, or U.S. Marshalls, all of us relate back to our families. And as we all know, family can drive you crazy.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! Thanks for checking this out. I fell in love with this television show over the past few months, so naturally I became inspired to write fan fiction for it. Of course, I do not own the characters from _Eureka_, or I'm sure I would find much more expensive things to do with my time. I just love to play in their sandbox! Please read and review, but most of all, enjoy.

(x)

Chapter One

Dr. Nathan Stark considered himself a rational man. He was a man of science, and science commanded a life governed by logic. It was because of that logic that even Nathan knew his obsession with the artifact bordered on madness.

And yet, even in acknowledging his obsession, he did not have the means to suppress it. During the day he was fine. He operated as any motivated and highly-funded director of Global Dynamics should. He directed projects. He focused on discovery and the pursuit of invention, and he demanded efficiency. But at night, Nathan found himself spending more and more time standing outside the room that held the artifact, studying the inside of the room on a monitor, sometimes for hours on end. Even tonight he told himself that he would only stay in Section Five for a half hour, and yet here he lingered.

He squinted into the artifact, mesmerized by its brilliant luminescence. The more time he spent near the artifact, the more he wanted to know about its properties, its history… its power.

"Dr. Stark."

Nathan jumped as his communicator went off at his side. He sighed. "What is it, Fargo?"

"Sir, I've gone over the video feed. There's been a security breech in Sections Three and Four."

Nathan felt his blood pressure rise. It propelled him towards the elevator. "What about Five?"

"No, nothing in Sector Five."

"What happened?" he demanded. "Where are they?"

There was a pause.

"Fargo!"

"I can't describe it, sir," he said hurriedly. "You have to see this."

Nathan reached the elevator in record time. "I'm on my way."

As Nathan took the elevator up to Section Three, a lone hooded figure sprinted down the hall of Section Five. The figure appeared and disappeared in jolts of electric static. The video feed cut out, losing sound and then picture. The figure ran around the corner after Nathan Stark. The figure ran through a door, and then straight through a wall, before the figure disappeared once more.

(x)

_Three Days Earlier…_

Sheriff Jack Carter paced around his house, talking loudly on his cell phone. "Yes, I know. I _know_!" he shouted into the receiver. "You think I haven't thought of that? … What do you mean _you're _the one who's been dealing with this? … Well, last time I checked she doesn't live with you and what's his name again? Brian? Bernie? Oh, I'm sorry, _Bradley._" Jack raised his voice. "No, I don't know what time it is, but I can take a pretty damn good guess."

A soothing voice that sounded suspiciously like a female Fargo said, "The time is 3:37 a.m."

Jack sighed and held the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Now is not the time, Sarah," he mumbled. Then, his voice picked up again. "Sarah's the name of my house. … No, I'm not being sarcastic!"

The female voice on the other end of the phone prattled on and on, until Jack cut her off, "You know what? You're right. I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. I shouldn't have called. So the next time our teenage daughter disappears in the middle of night, I'll be sure to go ahead and assume you know nothing about it. Yeah… Yeah, I do mean it. Tell Bradley I say hi." Jack clicked off the phone with brute finality before flinging it onto the couch.

Seconds later Jack collapsed onto the couch beside the phone, hunched over, hands on his knees. He'd called Vincent when Zoey was thirty minutes late. Then he called Spencer. Then Joey. He even called Fargo, and why he'd called that guy to find out Zoey's whereabouts Jack hadn't the first clue. All he knew was that he had not wanted to call his ex-wife, but now that he did he was more worried than ever. Nobody in Eureka had seen Zoey, and with scientists gaining super human powers, scientists replicating themselves into a clone army, and scientists becoming convinced that aliens were taking over the bodies of congressmen, Jack had enough problems without keeping tabs on his delinquent daughter.

The sound of the front door opening caused him to jump to his feet.

"Welcome home, Zoey," Sarah announced cheerfully. "You are three hours and thirty-nine minutes past your curfew. Parental override installed to document this occurrence for future reference."

Zoey Carter trailed in with heavy footfalls, toting her book bag behind her, and made a disgusted face. "Doesn't this house come with an off button?"

"Zoey!" Jack ran over to his daughter. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Sarah answered, "The time is 3:40 a-"

"Not now, Sarah!" Jack turned back to his daughter. "Where have you been?"

Zoey shrugged. "Studying."

"Studying?"

"Yeah," Zoey said crisply. "Hello? I have a test on Monday."

"You expect me to believe that you're three hours and thirty-nine minutes late coming home because you were studying for a test?"

"Where else would I be?" Zoey demanded. "There's nothing to _do _in this stupid town but go to the library or study astrophysics or wait for the next half-baked science experiment to blow up half the town. Yeah. Real exciting."

Zoey flounced past him, but Jack blocked her path. "Oh yeah?" he demanded. "If you were so busy studying, then why couldn't you answer your phone when I called you? The past fifteen times?"

"I turned it off," she said. "You were distracting me."

"Zoey. I have been your father for fifteen years, and during that time, I have not once seen a study session that didn't involve 'The Real World' or 'Extreme Makeover' in the background."

"Hmm, well, maybe that's because in those fifteen years, you haven't been around all that much."

Great, Jack thought. She was going there again. Who hadn't seen that coming? Over the years, Jack had become accustomed to broken ribs, fist fights, and small flesh wounds, but he still hadn't found a way to deflect his daughter's accusations. "Zoey," he said a little more softly. "We've been over this a million times. I thought things were getting better. I thought we were past this."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. "I'm home from studying! What more could a father possibly want from his daughter?"

"I want you to call me when you're going to be late! I want you to call me when you're going to be fifteen minutes late. Not three hours and … and …"

"Thirty-seven minutes late," Sarah chimed.

"Thirty-seven minutes late!"

"Well," Zoey said. "I guess we don't always get what we want." With that, she pushed past him and went up the stairs.

"Zoey, I'm gonna give you one last chance." She continued up the stairs, and Jack said, "Where in the hell were you?"

"Out in society."

"That's it," Jack said. "I tried being Mr. Nice Guy, but you want to play hardball? That's fine." He pointed to her with unyielding authority. "From this moment on, you are officially grounded for the next two weeks."

Zoey whirled around. "WHAT?! You can't DO that!"

"Oh yeah?" Jack challenged. "Watch me. Sarah?"

"Yes, Sheriff Carter," Sarah answered.

"Start program 'Ground Zero'."

Sarah announced, "Program Ground Zero in effect as of 3:55 a.m."

Zoey stomped back down the stairs. "What is she talking about?"

Sarah was quick to answer her. "Ground Zero is a program with utilizes my restrictive settings. With Ground Zero in effect, the subject Zoey Carter will not be able to leave the house without Sheriff Carter's permission. Once permission is given, documentation will commence on when Zoey leaves the house and when she returns. All documentation will be sent directly to Sheriff Carter via phone conversation."

A wide grin spread across Jack Carter's face. "Why Sarah, how comprehensive of you."

"Thank you, Sheriff Carter. It's just one of my many functions."

Zoey stewed in place before she glared up at the ceiling. "More like one of your many dysfunctions!"

"You don't have to make this complicated, Zoey," Jack said. "We don't have to do this! All you have to do is tell me where you were."

"I already told you!"

"No, you already lied to me."

"What is your issue?! I was studying!"

Jack shrugged. "Okay," he sang. "Have it your way. I really hope you like this house. You're gonna be spending a lot of time in it."

Zoey shouted down from the top of the stairs. "This is even more annoying than prison!"

"You weren't in prison. You were in a detention-" The door to her room slammed shut with a resonating bang. Jack swallowed and finished. "Center."

"Sheriff Carter?" Sarah asked.

He scratched his head. "Yeah?"

"As moderator of the well-being of this house, I should report that Zoey appears to be throwing shoes on the walls upstairs."

He could hear it loud and clear. "You don't say."

"… Do you think we were too hard on her?"

Jack shook his head and murmured. "I traded my wife for a talking house."

"What was that, Sheriff?"

"I just said she came back to the house," he said. "At least that's something different. Before it would take days, a team of agents, a computer system to track stolen credit cards, and a trip out of state to get her home." He sighed and continued, "All you have to do is keep her grounded until she starts coming home on time."

"Sheriff, speaking of time, may I remind you that you have work tomorrow starting at 8:30 a.m.?"

"I guess it's too late for me to say no."

"By my calculations, that gives you approximately three hours of sleep if you are to shower, eat a healthy breakfast, and leave on time for the station."

Jack nodded as he trudged up the stairs. "By your calculations, huh?"

"That is correct."

"In that case, let's skip the healthy breakfast. Wake me up at 8 a.m."

"Very well, Sheriff. Is there anything else that I can do for you before you go to sleep for the night?"

When Jack reached the top of the stairs, he could still hear Zoey flinging her shoes against the wall. "Yeah, there is. When I wake up, remind me to give Beverly Barlowe a call."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you, Asteria, for your review! I'm looking forward to what happens next as well. I hope you like this next chapter!

(x)

Chapter Two

Beverly Bartlowe awoke early at her bed and breakfast. She lounged at her desk, slowly sipping a hot mug of tea. The telephone jingled and Beverly blinked at the phone, before picking it up. "This is Beverly Bartlowe."

"Hey. Uh, good morning, it's Sheriff Carter."

"Good morning, Sheriff. How can I help you?"

"It's Zoey," Jack said. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, not at all. You say something's happened with Zoey?"

"Yeah, last night, she … Hey! HEY! Zoey, get back here! Oh, Zoey, c'mon!" The sheriff fumbled with the phone and then came back on the line. "She came in last night a little before four in the morning. I think she needs a session."

"Did she tell you where she was during that time?" Beverly asked.

Zoey's voice hollered from the background. "I don't need a session!"

Jack continued as if she hadn't spoken. "She told me she was studying."

"And you don't believe her," Beverly said.

Jack sputtered before he said, "Well, wherever she was, she wasn't picking up her cell phone, so somehow I get the feeling that whatever she was doing, she didn't exactly want me to know about it."

"I see," Beverly said. "When would you like to schedule an appointment?"

"What's your afternoon look like?"

"I have an opening at 3 'o clock this afternoon."

"Okay, that works for me. Thanks, Beverly."

"It's not a problem, Sheriff. I'll see you and Zoey at three."

Beverly hung up the phone and focused back to her desk. "I'm sorry. That was the sheriff. Please excuse the interruption."

A holographic image appeared and spoke to her from across the desk. "From what I understand Sheriff Carter is becoming more and more established within the Eureka community."

"Sheriff Carter is a man of the law. Like most law officials, he sees what he wants to see." Beverly sat back in her chair. "Currently, the Sheriff is concerned with his own agenda, just as Sheriff Cobb and Deputy Lupo have been concerned with theirs."

"I'll trust you to keep the extent of his abilities in mind – as well as those of the newest guest arriving in Eureka." The holographic image paused, before saying, "Have you spoken with Allison Blake?"

"I have," Beverly said. "The newest guest, as you put it, is due to arrive later this afternoon."

"I take it you are no longer harboring ill will about her arrival?"

Beverly chuckled. "Resentment is for those who can't identify their inner conflicts," she said. "To be honest at the beginning I did see this as a potential crisis, but more recently, I've come around to seeing it as …an opportunity."

"With the right manipulation, it could be the opportunity we've been looking for."

Beverly's smile deepened. "If that's the case, you're speaking with the right woman."

(x)

Sheriff Carter left his house just after eight 'o clock in the morning. Sometime during the fifteen minute car-ride, Jack Carter had tuned out Zoey's ranting. As they reached the school, he was just tuning back in. "And furthermore I don't see why I'm the one who needs to go to therapy," she declared. "I'm not the one who's goes mental at the push of a button."

"Sorry, kid. You broke the rules. You gotta face the consequences," Jack said with a shrug of his shoulders. He pulled the car to a stop. "Now get out of here. Have a good day at school."

"Yeah, dad. Have a great day at work," she sang back sarcastically. She flounced out of the car and slammed the door behind her. "Who are we? The Brady Bunch?"

"For that, you'd need three brothers and two sisters just like you. I dunno about you but I've got all I can handle with one of you," Jack shouted after her through the open window.

Zoey crossed her arms tightly and sulked towards school.

Jack grinned as he watched his daughter go into the building. "See you here at three!" With that, he pulled back onto the main road and drove through the center of town. Sheriff Jack Carter parked his police vehicle in front of Café Diem, just as Allison Blake was passing by, talking on her cell phone.

Jack got out of the car and walked up along beside her, just as she hung up. "Look at that. Do I have timing or what?"

Allison grinned and shook her head, as Jack appeared beside her. "Keep this up, and I'll have no choice but to think you're stalking me."

"Stalking you?" Jack laughed. "It might be considered stalking if there wasn't only one place to get coffee in the entire town."

"That's a compelling argument."

"I thought so," Jack said. "Besides, it can't be stalking if this is our thing – remember?"

"Right. So are you buying or am I?"

"I had a rough night, so I think you're buying today."

Allison frowned a little. "Is everything okay?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, as he held open to door to Café Diem for Allison. "Zoey disappeared last night and didn't reappear until after three thirty in the morning."

Allison's frown deepened and she shook her head. "Oh my God, was she all right?"

"She was fine, a little grouchy after I put her on house arrest. Then I called Beverly today and set up an appointment for her, and that didn't exactly thrill her either."

"Where was she?"

"She didn't say. It doesn't look like she's going to either. At least not to me."

Allison shook her head. "It's times like this that I'm glad Kevin is still young enough to ask me to read him a bedtime story and tuck him in at night."

Jack smirked and murmured. "Well, you might not have to worry about this happening because you _have _been around to read him a bedtime story." Jack and Allison walked up the counter, where Vincent was tending to customers, if you could call people who were given food for free customers.

"Hello, you two," Vincent greeted. "What will it be? Your usuals?"

"Actually, I'll have a double-shot of espresso this morning," Allison told Vincent.

"One grande black coffee and double-shot of mocha latte espresso coming right up," Vincent said.

Jack leaned against the counter and smiled at Allison. "Two shots of espresso? Is there something I should know about?"

Allison turned her face towards Jack. "Since you've asked, I have to be on my game. Eureka's getting a new arrival today."

"Really? And you weren't going to tell me?" Jack, of course, didn't wait for Allison to answer. "What department?"

"She'll be working with Beverly as a psychology intern."

Jack leaned back. "Huh. Wow. Do you usually get… psychology … interns?"

"Not usually, but this isn't just any intern. She graduated at the top of her class at Yale University in 2004. She won _The Psychology of Relationships Research Award_ three months alter. She then went on to obtain her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Chicago only two years after that."

"Sounds like she's coming to the right town." Jack turned to Allison. "It obvious she's a genius, but there's always plenty of them around, right? You can't tell me that's the only reason she's being brought here."

Allison hesitated, before she confided in Jack. "It's been discussed that Beverly's been with Eureka for a number of years now. It's probably a good idea – just for management's sake – to train an intern to follow in her footsteps. We've been lucky that nothing's happened to Beverly or to any of her clients, but …"

Jack filled in the rest of the statement. "But you never know what could happen, especially in a town like this. Even I have a deputy."

Allison nodded. "Not to mention that having another therapist around will help lessen Beverly's caseload and help both Beverly and this new intern focus on empirical research, which is what this town lives and breathes on."

A bell dinged loudly and Vincent presented them with their drinks. "One coffee black and one double-shot espresso."

"Thanks, Vincent." Jack grinned as he and Allison left Café Diem. "Well, you know what I say. You can never have too many therapists around."

Allison smirked back. "Her flight's coming in this afternoon, so I have to meet her at the airport. From there, I'll be introducing her to people around town, so be ready to make a good impression."

"Hey. You know me. When it comes to first impressions, I was born ready."

At that very moment, a ground-shaking blast BOOMED from across town, and a mushroom cloud of black smoke appeared on the horizon. Jack jumped up from where he'd been shielding Allison. He squinted on the horizon to see smoke coming from none other than … "Henry's." At that same moment, Jack's walkie-talkie surged to life at his side. "Carter?"

He picked it up. "Yeah, Jo."

"Explosion at Henry's Garage, requesting back-up, over."

Jack held down the side of the walkie-talkie. "You don't say." After a short period of silence, he said, "Over."

"En route to Henry's. Will debrief at rendezvous point. Over."

"Yeah, I'm on my way. Over." Jack looked up at Allison. "That was Jo. She's more military than usual this morning. She must be having a good morning."

Allison shook her head. "If there's an emergency, let me know. If not-"

"You won't need to hear about it." Smiling, Jack ran to his police cruiser and started up the engine. "Have fun picking up our newcomer at the airport. Drive safe!"

Allison crossed her arms over her smart grey business suit as Jack Carter turn on his bar lights and sped down the road towards Henry's Garage. She shook her head, chuckling. Hopefully, this newcomer would be less sarcastic but just as hard-working as their new Sheriff.

(x)

Allison Blake reached the airport around one in the afternoon. The flight arrived on time, and she walked through the airport, searching for someone who met the newcomer's description.

In the distance, a young woman with wearing a brown business suit was also searching for someone. She had deep blue eyes, and her dark hair was pulled back tightly in a bun. Allison Blake smiled as she looked upon the woman. "Dr. Hayden?"

The woman looked up and smiled back. "Hello. Are you Miss Allison Blake?"

"I am." Allison extended her hand.

The woman shook her hand heartily. "Dr. Claire Hayden, LPC. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"The pleasure's all mine." Allison pointed to Claire's suitcase and her carry-on. "Is this all your luggage?"

"At the moment, yes," Claire said. "The rest of my belongings are being sent directly to Beverly Bartlowe's residence."

Allison smiled. "In that case, I don't suppose there's any reason for us to stick around here. Unless you like airports."

Claire laughed. "I like them just fine as long as I know when I'm leaving them."

"Well if you're ready, we can leave right now." Allison helped Claire with one of her rolling suitcases and the two women left the terminal.

Once they reached Allison's car and secured Claire's belongings in her trunk, Allison and Claire climbed into the SUV. Sitting across from her, Allison smiled. "We're very excited to have you coming on board with us, Dr. Hayden."

"Thank you, Miss Blake. I'm very excited to be starting here."

"The ride to Eureka is about two hours long, but once we get there, you'll be starting the career opportunity of a lifetime."

"Trust me. I know. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again, Asteria, for the review! Don't worry. Even if she looks like a Mary-Sue, Claire would never allow me to take her down that long, dark road – from which there is no returning. ;) Thanks for reading!

(x)

Chapter Three

Sheriff Jack Carter leaned idly against his cruiser. He was taking in the view from Beverly's Bartlowe's driveway, when he saw Zoey and Dr. Bartlowe walk out onto her porch. "Hello, Sheriff," Beverly called.

"Hey, Beverly." Jack pushed back from the cruiser and met them halfway. He smiled to Zoey and then back to Beverly. He looked down at his watch. "You two ladies must have had a lot to talk about."

Zoey gave a slight shrug and said to her father, "Yeah. It was … invigorating."

"It was interesting, as always," Beverly said, sharing a muted smile with Zoey. "But I would say our meeting today was productive."

But the whole time Zoey was looking at Jack. "Really, Oscar-worthy. You should have been there."

Jack looked back and forth between the two of them. "Is there anything I need to know about?"

Beverly spoke up, "Actually, Sheriff Carter. There is something that I've been wanting to talk with you about--"

At that moment, Allison's SUV turned into Beverly's driveway and pulled up to her house. Beverly situated herself, standing poised, as a young woman got out of the SUV with Allison.

The woman's eyes were bright but mild, and though she wore a starched business suit, she looked pretty and fresh-looking. Jack quickly realized this must be Allison's newcomer. On the gravel driveway, she walked carefully and on edge, like she might snap a heel, and Jack found himself wondering if she'd ever stepped outside of a New York office building until just now.

Allison walked briskly up to them. "Hello, Beverly," she said, smiling.

"Good afternoon, Allison." Beverly shared a smile with the newcomer. "This must be Dr. Hayden."

Dr. Claire Hayden smiled, nervous but excited, and shook Beverly's hand vigorously. "You must be Dr. Beverly Bartlowe. I've heard a lot about you."

Beverly blinked and then smiled. "You don't say."

Claire continued. "I've read your reports in the Psychological Journal of America on coping mechanisms used in high-pressure situations. It's an honor to meet you."

Beverly brightened. "Well, thank you."

Allison opened her hands. "Well, I guess no introduction is needed." She turned her eyes to Jack. "Dr. Hayden, this is our Sheriff – Jack Carter, and his daughter, Zoey Carter."

Jack extended his hand. "Hi."

Claire shook his hand and then Zoey's. "Nice to meet you."

"So." Jack appraised her as he spoke. "Allison's told me that you just graduated with your doctorate in psychology."

"Yes, I did."

"Congratulations, doctor."

"Thank you." She cleared her throat self-consciously. "It's good to finally be out of school, where I'll be able to get some real field work."

Jack grinned, nodding. "Trust me, you'll get a good dose here. You'll get to work with all the Einsteins and Graham-Bells of America. Though for you, it'll probably be like seeing your professors in therapy." Jack laughed a little at his own joke, but no one joined in. His laughter died and he said, "I guess that sounded funnier before I said it."

Zoey whispered to Claire, "That happens to him a lot."

Claire looked to Zoey and then back to Jack, with a nervous chuckle. "No, you're right. I suppose that is what I signed up for."

"Well, trust me, you'll have your work cut out for you," Jack said. "If you ever need anything, just give me a holler."

"Thank you, Sheriff."

"No problem," he said.

Zoey turned to Claire. "It's not as bad as he makes it sound."

"It's not, huh?" Claire asked Zoey.

"Nope, but you can tell me what you think when I get back." Zoey pointed up to Beverly. "Apparently, I'll be back next week."

Beverly called to the Sheriff as he and Zoey began to walk away. "Sheriff! If you have a moment, I'd like a word before you leave-"

At that moment, a sonic boom sounded, and a contraption looking something the size of a small compact car whizzed down the road with the sound of someone going, "WHOOOOOOO-HAAAAAAAAA!"

Jack ducked down, along with everyone else. The contraption disappeared in a flash, leaving only a lingering trail of dust in its path. The next sound Jack heard was his communicator. "Vehicle has been clocked on Edison Road at over 120 miles per hour," Jo reported. "Suspected to be Fargo trying to break the sound barrier. Over."

At the same time, another loud BOOM sounded, again appearing to come from Henry's Garage. Jack turned its direction, when his communicator buzzed to life. "Sheriff, do you copy?"

He brought it up to his mouth. "Yeah, Jo. One thing at a time. I'll check out whatever the hell Henry exploded or … detonated…or imploded this time. You take care of Fargo. And write him one _hell _of a ticket this time. Tell him to keep it out of civilian areas! There's pedestrians for Christ's sake." Then he brought it up again. "Over."

"Copy. Over and out."

Jack blinked, as he realized that Jo hadn't challenged him, and murmured. "She _must _have had a good morning."

In the background, a smile belayed Beverly's features. "I don't suppose we'll be able to have that talk," she said to Jack.

Jack grinned boyishly and put up his hands. "Sorry, Beverly. Duty calls. I'll see you next week though!"

Beverly looked like she was going to say something, but instead she said. "We'll be in touch, Sheriff."

While the residents of Eureka exchanged niceties, Dr. Clarie Hayden's mouth had dropped open, her eyebrows narrowed, and part of her bun had fallen out from the sonic blast that whizzed by. Finally, she spoke up. "Could someone tell me… what in the he…" She collected herself and said, "What just _happened_?"

Zoey sucked in a breath through her teeth and nodded. "Yeah," she said to Claire. "We'll be talking." Then she followed after her father.

Allison Blake watched the Carters take off and turned back to Claire. "Dr. Hayden," she said. "I believe I speak for both myself and Dr. Bartlowe when I say – Welcome to Eureka."

(x)

Jack and Zoey Carter sped towards Henry's Garage, reaching the garage in record-breaking time. The cruiser skidded up to the garage, where smoke and debris still clouded the air.

Jack jumped out of his car. "Stay here," he said to Zoey.

"Yeah, right," Zoey said, jumping out of the car after her father. "Like that's going to happen."

Jack ran up to the garage, waving away dust kicked up from the explosion. "HENRY!"

An older black man in his fifties peeked out from behind a large, metallic contraption. He kicked it, and the contraption blinked its lights once, twice, and then they died down again. "Sheriff!" he called over. As Henry walked over, Jack could see that Henry's entire body was completely covered in black soot.

"Henry?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Henry rubbed soot away from his eyes. "Yeah, it's me."

Jack shook his head as he looked at Henry's machine. "Do I even… want to know what you're working on?"

Henry grinned. "Oh, I think you definitely will."

Jack looked it over. "It's a beer distributor," he said. "No, wait, it's a machine that can write up my reports before I can make it back to the office."

Henry smirked to Jack.

Jack said, "It's a big bulletproof vest?"

Henry chuckled and clapped Jack on the back, putting a large black handprint on his uniform. "How about you give me a second, and I'll let you see for yourself." Henry raised his voice, "SPENCER!"

At that, a young man rounded the corner, also covered in splotches of black soot. "Yeah?"

"Get the nitro-glycerin!"

Jack paced nervously in place. "Uh, no that's okay, Henry," he said. "You don't have to test it again on account of me…"

Henry laughed as Spencer brought over what Jack could only guess was a tank of nitro-glycerin. "Nonsense. This is just getting started. This time you might be able to see scientific discovery at its finest."

Jack could not take his eyes away from the machine in front of him. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not have it be the last thing I see."

But Henry didn't have an answer to that. He strapped on a backpack that looked like it cost a lot of American dollars to create, while Spencer scurried towards the back of the machine, which was twice Henry's height in size.

"Hey, what's this thing do anyway?" Jack then murmured, "Besides destroy half the countryside…"

Henry answered him. "You'll know in just a minute. If we get it to work this time."

All this time, Jack had been putting distance between him and the machine, until he bumped into his daughter. "Zoey. I thought I told you to stay in the car."

But Zoey just pointed forward. "What the heck is _that _thing?"

The machine whirled to life in the background. The wind created by the machine pushed back Jack's hair, and he dove to cover Zoey in case whatever happened was just like to the last two tries documented in his reports.

A jolt of electricity sparked between two points on the machine, and the corners of the backpack strapped to Henry lit up. The wind pushed back his hair, but Henry yelled over the noise. "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS, SHERIFF?"

Muscling through the whirling wind, Henry walked forward to the side of the building and pressed his hand up against the wall. Jack squinted, still holding onto Zoey. He clearly saw Henry push his hand right through the wall as easily as if the wall hadn't been there at all. Henry pulled his gloved hand back to show that he still had all five fingers and waved to Jack.

Jack's mouth dropped open and Henry wore a grin that would have done the Chesire Cat proud.


	4. Chapter 4

…And one more, while I'm at it. :) Thanks for the review, Asteria! I'm so thankful for your feedback!

(x)

Chapter Four

When the raging wind and whirling of the machine died down, Henry backed away and un-strapped himself from the backpack, which had clearly connected him to this huge monstrosity of a machine. Henry was still grinning when he said, "Sheriff, you look speechless."

Sheriff Jack Carter let go of his daughter and hurried up to where Henry was standing. He looked at Henry, looked at the wall, and looked back at Henry. "Henry… correct me if I'm wrong. But I did just see you put your hand through a cement wall, right?"

"As rain," Henry announced. "You saw it here for the first time." He put up a finger. "Remember that."

At his side, Spencer pointed to the backpack. "Henry, you gotta let me try that."

Henry nodded and clapped Spencer on the back. "Of course. Just let me do a couple more test runs. We will need your mind in tact long after mine's deteriorated."

Jack, shocked – as Henry coined – by speechlessness, ran forward. "Henry, how are you doing this?"

Henry heaved a great sigh and leaned against the machine. "Well, it all began after I started working with Walter's project. Of course, I realized that using the same theorems could open me up to just as much risk as Walter. So the beauty of continuing the work of another scientist – is being able to take the necessary precautions."

"Really?" Jack said uncertainly. "Is that why every time I turn around there's a huge mushroom cloud over your garage?"

"No. That's why there's not a crater where my garage _used _to be."

"Or a break in the space-time continuum."

Henry pointed. "Right."

"Oh God," Jack said, donning a worried expression. "It's starting to make sense."

Henry laughed a little. "It was only a matter of time, Sheriff. You're one of us now."

"Great. Now I know I'm in trouble."

While they were talking, Zoey walked carefully around the rubble and spare parts that had been discarded from the project, over to where Spencer was standing. "So this thing lets you what? Walk through walls?"

"Walls. Doors. Buildings. Prison bars. You name it."

"You helped build it?" she asked.

"You betcha."

Zoey nodded to it, impressed. "Sweet."

Sheriff Carter was still speaking with Henry, through their interaction. "How long have you been working on this?"

Henry held up the backpack and declared, "I've been working on this ever since Walter laid the groundwork with his formula for inner molecular sight reduction – with his permission of course."

Jack nodded sarcastically, as if Henry had made some whimsy that put Socrates to shame. "You mean, when he almost undid time and creation as we know it."

"Right."

"Right," Jack said, squinting at the machine.

"Luckily, since then I've been able to make some adjustments." Henry set down the backpack onto the cement floor with a small 'bang'. "This invention is safer, more secure, and eventually, as I work on it, it will allow a person safe passage through any surface – though to be honest so far I've only tested it on the walls of my garage."

Jack studied the mechanism before him. "So… the main reason for creating this would be to benefit who exactly?"

Henry took a deep breath and rested his hands on his hips. "Well. Of course, I've kept in mind that the military, the national guard, and every other branch of United States defense department would all love to get their hands on this. As they love to get their hands on all of Eureka's inventions," Henry muttered. However, even though a dark cloud came across his face, it lifted just as quickly. "But who better to use this technology than U.S. Marshalls and Sheriffs like yourself. Could you imagine the benefit this could have on catastrophes caused by natural disaster? The destruction left behind by a tornado, or a hurricane, or …" Henry shrugged a little. "Let's say 9-11."

Jack nodded at that reminder. "You could use this to save the lives of people trapped inside."

Henry said. "Or have enough available that the people inside could already be protected."

Jack shook his head. "In a perfect world, sure. But what about the darker side? A lot of criminals could get out of jail and into a lot of bank vaults or gated communities or nuclear war silos with this thing. Once this is out in the open, it would need to be seriously monitored or you could have world-wide catastrophe on your hands in a matter of days."

Henry smiled a little and leaned in to say to Jack. "You make an excellent point, Sheriff. Why else do you think it's being tested here?"

Jack smiled back and put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Good point, Henry." When Jack pulled his hand away, he looked down and blew away the soot, creating a cloud in the air. "I'll leave you with your … inner molecular reduction… thingie."

Henry appraised the machine and said, "I'm calling it 'The Griffin'."

Jack smirked and jolted a little. "The Griffin. Why's that?"

"Griffin is the name of the scientist in _The Invisible Man_. In the book by Ralph Ellison, Griffin theorizes that if a person's refractive index is changed to exactly that of air and his body does not absorb or reflect light, then he will not be visible." Henry grinned. "Walter and I have taken that thought a step further – and asked – why change the refractive index, when you can change the properties of man's actual body into the air surrounding him?"

A series of questions rolled through Jack's mind, and if asked, he wondered if he would understand the answers. As he'd quickly learned in Eureka, all questions would be answered in time, whether spoken or not spoken aloud. So he said, "Well, at least it's better than calling it the Molecular Reduction…Whatever Machine."

"Or 'The Walter'," Henry said. "Though I'd have to get his permission to avoid copyright infringment."

Jack chuckled. "Well, whatever you do, just make sure that tomorrow morning I don't hear a sonic blast and see this thing in the middle of town, with you and your backpack strapped to it, okay? I've got enough to handle without losing the only man who knows what's going on in this town."

"Don't worry, Sheriff. I shall be caution himself."

Jack shook his head at Henry and then at the machine. "I hope so, Henry. For both our sakes." Jack looked up and regarded his daughter. "Hey, Zoey. You ready to go home?"

Zoey walked back over to where her father was standing. "Why? You got a hot date you need to get ready for or something?"

Jack looked down at his watch as he headed to the car. "Nope. Just a house with a short temper whose potroast is getting cold."


	5. Chapter 5

Here's another chapter! I seem to be on a roll this week… I just hope I can keep up. Thanks again Asteria for all your feedback and reviews!!

(x)

Chapter Five

When Dr. Claire Hayden arrived at the house, Beverly took her on a tour of the house and showed her to her room. Once Claire was settled, they partook of a small meal, cooked by Beverly herself. However, Claire hadn't been up for too much small talk due to the events of the day.

Later that evening Claire rested in an armchair in front of the fireplace in Beverly Bartlowe's Guesthouse. She had been looking through one of the newer psychological journals she'd found in the library when she heard someone enter the room.

Claire turned around to see Dr. Bartlowe holding a tea kettle in one hand and two empty mugs in the other. "Would you like some company?" she asked.

Claire took off her glasses and set aside her journal. "Sure."

Beverly took a seat across from Claire in a reclining chair. She set down the kettle and the tea cups on the coffee table between them and poured each of them a cup. As she was doing this, Claire found herself taking in the atmosphere of the Guesthouse. Its décor was calm and quieting, with soft blues, greens, and yellows. It reminded Claire of the inside of her grandmother's house. The house was warm and smelled a little bit sweet, as if were haunted by the ghosts of long dead cookies. No wonder Beverly held therapy in this house. Its atmosphere was comfortable, if not somewhat intoxicating.

"Tea?"

Claire was distracted by the question and quickly smiled, before taking the mug. "Thank you," Claire said.

Beverly sat back in her chair with her own mug of tea. "Are you settling in all right?"

"Yes. Everything's really been more than accommodating. Thank you."

"It's not a problem." A short silence sat between the two, before Beverly said, "So I've been meaning to ask you, Dr. Hayden. What's drawn you to work in a place like Eureka?"

Claire looked up. She shrugged a little. "Eureka is a city where the best of the best are chosen to come practice their skills," she said. "A little known government secret that protects those seeking invention and discovery. I've already done work with individuals and families in a number of therapies. This is the next step. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to take an internship here?"

"Many. In fact, there is a long, running list."

Claire paused at that and shifted in her seat.

"Forgive me for intruding, doctor," Beverly said. "I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. But in my experience, the people here have their own personal reasons for coming to Eureka. I don't expect you'll be the exception."

A sideways smile came over Claire's face as she looked to Beverly. "Well… there can't be too much left the imagination. I trust you've had a chance to read my psychological profile as well as a social history in the personal file the government provided."

Beverly smiled back. Ah-ha. So she _did _have a personality in there somewhere. You just had to go digging to find it. "Of course, I was," Beverly said. "But as we know from psychology, you can read all the reports that there is to find on someone. However, there is nothing like hearing it from the source."

Claire smiled at that, nodding in agreement. "Then you already know that I am not the first person in my family to be extended an invitation to Eureka."

Beverly said nothing else, only smiled, and Claire trusted that she already knew.

Claire continued. "My mother was a highly recognized medical doctor. She spent her entire life fighting to find a cure to the world's greatest diseases – polio, AIDS, cancer, muscular dystrophy… And she had some success. She was on the medical team that discovered a pill to strengthen the immune system of people who suffer from AIDS or from certain types of cancer…"

"People who speak of your mother described her as a very driven woman."

"Yes, I've heard that said before, and they were right. She was driven." Somewhere in the back of Claire's mind, she wondered what was responsible for loosening her tongue. She couldn't remember the last time she had volunteered this much information about himself. Maybe it was something in the tea. Maybe it was the privacy of their conversation. Whatever it was, she had no fear of continuing. "Though not many people know it, her mother – my grandmother – died of ovarian cancer when she was relatively young, and that's why my mother went into medicine. Ironically… my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the same age as her mother. She just died faster."

Beverly listened intently as Claire relayed the story. "That must have been terrifying for you," Beverly said.

"It was," Claire agreed. "It happened very quickly, and there wasn't much time for any of us to prepare… It happened three years ago, which seems like a long time, but it's not – not really. It was very difficult, especially for my father. But … we took grief counseling together and family counseling and we worked out way through it. I did a lot of work journaling in notebooks. That was how I coped, by writing and studying. I also read through my mother's journals, dating back to when she was my age. That was the first time I heard about Eureka."

Beverly smiled slightly. "So I take it that she didn't jump at the chance to come here."

Claire smirked and shook her head. "No. They asked her to come here when I was just a baby, and I don't think she was ready to bring her family somewhere new. She had a good job, a good life… It wasn't for her. At least, that's what her journals said."

"And why is it for you?" Beverly asked.

Claire took a moment to think and sipped her tea. "I'm here for a lot of reasons," she said. "Mostly I know what it's like to have parents who are successful and celebrated and literally geniuses – completely out of any normal person's league. It's a lot to live up to, and it can be harsh at times. Not many people get that, and I think I understand the plight of the people who live here." Claire sat back in her chair. "Mostly, I know what it's like to lose someone … and I know what it's like to take that grief and try to make something of it. Family is very important, no matter what you're struggling with, and people need guidance to know how to cope with their families." Claire looked up to see Beverly studying her. She blushed and held up her cup of tea. "Not to mention, that the government offers quite a nice paycheck going to the bank every month."

Beverly laughed. "Well, it sounds like money is one of the last reasons you're doing this, Dr. Hayden. And to be quite honest, I'm glad to hear it. But there is something you need to remember."

Claire looked up attentively.

Beverly leaned in. "Your parents are not the only ones who have succeeded. You may have personally sought out Eureka, but no matter how hard you searched – you never would have learned about this town if the United States government did not want you to."

Claire smiled a little. Beverly continued, "As you know, the government has designated me as your clinical supervisor. This means that I will be overseeing all the work that you do in Eureka. However, I also hope to be your mentor through this process. It's important for us to have someone that we can trust." When Claire nodded, Beverly said, "I'm glad we had this talk, Dr. Hayden. It's important for a supervisor and supervisee to feel comfortable around each other. The more honest we can be with each other, the more therapeutic and helpful your sessions will be with your clients."

Claire relaxed in her chair as she heard this. She seemed to be relaxing for the fist time since she entered the town. "I'm glad we had this talk, too. I really feel there's a lot I can learn from you."

"Hopefully, if we keep communicating about what we and our clients in Eureka are thinking and feeling, we'll be able to learn from each other." With that, Beverly stood up and brought the kettle and mugs with her into the kitchen. "I'll let you get some rest tonight. We'll start to go over your caseload and clients in the morning."

"That sounds good." Claire settled into her chair, curling up. "Good night, Dr. Bartlowe."

"Please," she said. "Call me Beverly."

"All right. Beverly. And please, call me Claire."

Beverly nodded and left the room. "Good night, Claire. I'll see you in the morning."

When Beverly left the room, Claire sunk down into the chair, feeling the light and warmth of the fireplace. Never had she felt so comfortable or so relieved about the decision she made to come to Eureka. With that thought, she realized her head was nodding. It would be pretty foolish to fall asleep in this chair when her bedroom was only a walk up the stairs. On the other hand, the bedroom and the bed would still be there in five minutes, and she wasn't going to go to sleep. She only wanted to close her eyes for just one minute…

(x)

Beverly dumped the tea down the sink and checked back into the living room. Claire had passed out in the armchair, and if prior histories were any indication, she wouldn't awaken for another eight to ten hours.

Beverly sighed and made her way up the stairs to where Claire had dropped her things in the guest room. By Beverly's calculations, that would give her plenty of time to do a little investigative research. Hopefully through which she would develop an understanding of Claire and her motivations better than Claire understood them herself.


	6. Chapter 6

I want to say hello to Asteria, Shathar, Ari, and Reuis! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Always nice to meet fellow fans of Eureka. As you can see, it takes me awhile to update, but I am still sticking with this story. More to come as soon as I can!

(x)

The next morning dawned bright and early for Claire Hayden. She blinked open her eyes and found herself laying in the upstairs guestroom that Dr. Barlowe had prepared for her upon her arrival. The flight from Chicago and her entrance into the strange town of Eureka must have exhausted her more than she realized. Claire had fallen asleep in her clothes and had only had the presence of mind to remove her shoes before climbing into bed. As a matter of fact, she had been so exhausted that she couldn't even remember walking up the stairs to her room, let alone climbing into bed.

Claire rolled over in the covers to stare up at the ceiling. Well, she certainly wasn't exhausted any more. The birds were chirping. The sun was shining, and the morning had only just begun. Claire threw aside the bedsheets and got up out of bed. She walked into the bathroom that was connected to her room, and she found it to be just as accommodating as the guest room itself. The bathroom was painted buttercup yellow and smelled sweetly of honeysuckle. Inside the bathroom she found her favorite shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion outside the shower, with a note that said "Good Morning, Claire." Claire showered, dressed, and pulled her dark hair up into a large bun as she typically did. She perched her spectacles on the bridge of her nose. Then she took a deep breath, and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.

"Okay," she said, as if sharing a secret with herself. "You can do this. You came all this way. You can make this happen."

Claire nodded smartly, as if to convince herself further. Then she strapped on her high heels and clicked down the staircase to the first floor of the guesthouse. Beverly Barlowe was already waiting downstairs to meet her. The doctor wore a beige button-down dress that showed off the curves of her body, and her long auburn hair fell in curls around her shoulders.

"Good morning!" Beverly said briskly. "You're up early."

"I am," Claire said in an impressed tone. "I must be more of a morning person that I thought."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very well." Claire found herself surprised to find that it was true. "Probably the best sleep I've had in years, actually."

Beverly smiled. "Well, you have spent the past three years writing your thesis. Doctoral studies are no place for a good night's sleep."

Claire laughed. "Nothing like falling asleep in the center of the DSM-IV or the keyboard of your laptop."

"That definitely sounds too familar," Beverly said. "What about your room? Did you find everything you needed?"

Claire nodded. "Yes. And I found the note. Thank you very much, Dr. Barlowe."

"You're welcome." Beverly placed a hand on Claire's shoulder and led her into the kitchen. "I've made some breakfast. You can feel free to help yourself. After that, we can have a short meeting and you'll be ready to meet your clients."

Claire's eyebrows went up. "Clients. They're arriving today?"

Beverly's smile curled upward. "I believe it was you who said that this was the next step in your life. No time to take that step like the present. Right, doctor?"

Claire had said that last night, hadn't she? She frowned for a moment. She remembered their conversation and drinking tea together… But the memory felt so hazy and out of touch, like a picture not entirely in focus. Claire blinked the idea away. Though it took a moment, Claire smiled once more. "Absolutely," she said. "Let me get some breakfast, and then we can get started." She clicked loudly into the kitchen. "When's the first client arriving?"

Beverly consulted her watch. "We have about an hour."

Claire glanced up at the clock. "In that case." She grabbed a muffin and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Let's make this a working breakfast."

Beverly smiled in approval. She picked up her mug of tea and Claire followed Beverly down the hall. "You've already seen my office, Dr. Hayden," she said. "So I thought that I would show you yours."

Beverly turned the corner. She produced a key on a long gold chain and opened a reddish brown oak door. The door swung open, and Claire's breath caught in her throat. The carpet floors were a deep, soulful red, and the walls were painted honey beige. Together they looked like some delicious and rare dessert found in only the most expensive of restaurants. Photographs of yellow and red tulips hung on the walls, along with Claire's degrees from college, her masters program, and her doctoral studies. A large mahogany desk sat off to the side of the room with a comfortable computer chair behind it. There was a file cabinet next to the desk, and then in the center of the room were two comfortable sitting chairs and a soft gold sofa with red pillows.

"I hope you like the colors," Beverly commented as Claire stepped inside and took in the atmosphere.

Claire turned to face Beverly. "Dr. Barlowe… This room… It's gorgeous."

"Well the setting needs to be comfortable, as I'm certain you'll be spending many hours in this room. Probably more than you desire."

Claire smiled and huffed a short laugh. "Trust me … I… I couldn't imagine a more comfortable room."

"Well, I would have put you in the basement," Beverly said. "But then I might actually have to clean it."

"I wouldn't want you to have to do that on my account," Claire said.

"No, I don't suppose so," Beverly said. "Besides, we'll be too busy with other things." Beverly opened her hand, inviting Claire to sit behind her desk.

Claire tried to keep her grin muted as she walked behind her desk and took a seat in the computer chair. She was brought back to business when Beverly dropped three heavy charts onto her desk.

"These," she announced, "will be your new clients. There will be more, of course, but I thought three was a fair number from which to start. From there, we can add more clients to your caseload as you become more comfortable."

Claire picked up the first folder at the top of the pile. She opened the file. "Hmm," she mused. "Douglas Fargo…"

Beverly smiled to herself as she sat back in her own chair. "Douglas Fargo has been in counseling here at the office since his arrival at Eureka. He was chosen to join the community of Eureka due to his revolutionary research in the field of microbiology and astrophysics. He double-majored, and he received his doctorate by the age of twenty, making him the youngest doctor to join the elite staff at Global Dynamics."

Claire raised her eyebrows. "That's quite impressive."

"Yes," Beverly conceded. "However, like most of our residents, he presents with acute to extreme anxiety when faced with deadlines and pressure from his position at Global Dynamics. This anxiety manifests itself in a number of ways – as simple as night sweats or stammered speech – to more extreme panic attacks that leave him unable to move or breathe."

Claire nodded intently as she continued to peruse the contents of the file. "Does he have any coping mechanisms that help him lessen his anxiety?"

Beverly sat back and steppled her fingers. "He has several. He has learned to identify the stressors and do deep breathing exercises, which we've practiced in several sessions. He's also found some success using guided imagery, and if all else fails, he has a low grade prescription that he can take at his discretion." Beverly paused before adding, "He also reports that he finds comfort in watching and fantasizing about Sarah Michelle Gellar, which he details at length…"

Claire tried to hide her smile under a veil of professionalism, but in truth she had some difficulty. "_Very_ interesting."

"If only you…" Beverly would have kept speaking, but he sound of the doorbell caused both of the therapists to look to the door in attention.

They looked at each other, but it was finally Beverly that said. "Well, doctor." She rose to her feet. "It would appear that your first client has arrived."

She blinked, surprised, and looked at her watch. "Wow... they're early."

"Yes, he certainly is." Beverly mildly joked, "He must take after you, doctor."

Claire stood up from her chair, feeling her own butterflies in her stomach. "Well, I'd hate to keep them waiting. I'll go introduce myself."

Beverly placed a hand on Claire's shoulder. "I'll come with you. Sometimes it helps to have a second therapist there for the transition."

Claire smiled appreciatively and followed Beverly Barlowe out to the front of the guesthouse to meet a greet her new client. As they turned the corner, Claire sucked in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. She smiled to herself, thinking that perhaps her clients weren't the only ones in her office showing signs of anxiety.


End file.
